Issue

Positive development for mad cow disease detection

11/01/2006

BSafE Innovations Inc. (BSafE), a joint venture company dedicated to veterinary applications of prion research, has announced preliminary findings from its most recent testing. Utilizing proprietary technologies developed by Pathogen Removal and Diagnostic Technologies Inc. (PRDT), which were used to develop the first human prion blood filter, PRDT scientists have been working on behalf of BSafE to demonstrate that the technology can be adapted to specifically target the bovine form of prions. Recent experiments have confirmed that the proprietary technology greatly enhances the sensitivity of post mortem testing for mad cow disease.

“These initial results are very encouraging and could enable the detection of mad cow disease in much younger animals and at much earlier stages of the disease to improve the safety of the food chain,” said Christian Frayssignes, president and CEO of BSafE.

Further testing is underway to replicate the experiments under different conditions. BSafE’s first objective is to provide the beef industry with a reliable and simple way to further improve the sensitivity of the current standard tests. Ultimately, the company believes it will be possible to detect the disease from a simple blood sample.